(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to central vacuum systems, and in particular to a storage unit for housing a central vacuum hose within a building wall.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Central vacuum systems are normally installed in buildings during building construction, and are comprised of a remotely located vacuum source that includes a powered vacuum unit and canister or other debris receptacle, and conduits within the building walls connecting the vacuum unit to inlets at various locations within the building. When a given area is to be vacuumed, a flexible hose is attached at its proximal or connector end to a nearby inlet. Connection of the hose to the inlet closes a circuit to the vacuum unit, causing a vacuum to be drawn through the connecting conduit and the hose, so that debris will be drawn into the nozzle attached to the distal end of the hose.
One of the problems with central vacuum units is the inconvenience attendant to storing the detachable vacuum hose when it is not in use, and in moving the hose from area to area during vacuuming. Various solutions have been proposed in the prior art to address this problem. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,740,581 and 5,740,582 to Harrelson, II, both issued Apr. 21, 1998, and assigned to the assignee of this invention, describe an in-wall system with a cabinet having one compartment to enclose a vacuum unit and a debris receiving receptacle, and a hose storage compartment that includes a reversible drive unit for extending and retracting the hose. The upper area of the cabinet includes a door for access to a hose nozzle connected to the distal end of the flexible hose, which has its proximal end connected to the vacuum unit. The cabinet is sized to fit between adjacent wall studs.
When using the device described in the Harrelson, II patents, the user opens the door in the upper part of the cabinet and grasps the hose nozzle, which includes a switch with forward-stop-reverse positions in circuit with the drive unit. The drive unit includes drive rollers that exert pressure on either side of the hose, which extends from its storage compartment between the nip of the drive rollers. When the user moves the switch to the xe2x80x9cforwardxe2x80x9d position, the drive rollers turn to feed the hose outwardly from the cabinet until all of the hose has been extended, or until the switch is moved to the xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d position by the user. After vacuuming, the user moves the switch to xe2x80x9creversexe2x80x9d, rotating the rollers in the opposite direction to return the hose to its storage compartment.
The Harrelson central vacuum system has proven to be of considerable utility when installed in buildings or other structures where the area to be vacuumed does not extend beyond the length of the hose that can be practically stored in the hose storage compartment, e.g., about 30-35 feet. However, installation of multiple units is required if a greater area or multiple areas are to be vacuumed.
In structures where cost is a significant factor, such as in prefabricated homes, installation of multiple self-contained units may be cost prohibitive. In these structures, there is still a need for an economical vacuum system that provides for hose storage. A system that provides for hose storage that could be partially installed during building construction, with the hose and drive system being subsequently installed, thereby minimizing the initial investment, would be especially desirable.
The present invention addresses these needs by providing a vacuum hose storage and retractor unit that is positionable within a wall between wall studs, and connected to a remotely located vacuum source. The hose storage unit is comprised of a housing, with a hose and hose retractor mountable within the housing. The unit is especially designed so that the entire unit can be installed at the time the wall is constructed, or so that the housing can be installed initially, with the hose and hose retractor being installed at a later date.
The housing can be installed between two adjacent wall studs, or between two walls studs that are separated by an intermediate stud. In the latter instance, a section of the intermediate stud in removed, or a shorter upper intermediate stud section is used, with a horizontal cross-bracing member being installed to support the intermediate stud section.
The storage unit housing is comprised of a vertical rear wall, and outer side, top and bottom walls that extend forward from the rear wall to the front of the opening. The housing is sized so that the housing side walls abut the inner faces of the studs between which the housing is positioned. Flanges may extend outwardly from the front edges of the side, top and bottom walls, and parallel to the rear wall. The flanges may be attached to the front of the studs and any cross-bracing members to secure the housing in place. The housing forms an interior chamber that is covered with doors, covers or wall material, as will be described. The housing can be fabricated of various materials, e.g., sheet metal or molded plastic. Instead of separately formed walls, studs or other framing members can serve as one or more of the walls. For example, a horizontal cross-bearing member can be used as the bottom wall.
The interior chamber of the housing is divided into a hose storage compartment and a nozzle/retractor compartment by an interior divider that extends across the interior chamber, e.g., between the inner faces of the housing side walls to form upper and lower compartments. The relative dimensions of the compartments will depend upon the overall dimensions of the housing, and the sizes of the internal components. Generally, however, the divider will section the overall housing so that the hose compartment occupies approximately 60 to 80% of the housing interior chamber.
It will be understood that the invention also contemplates construction of the housing with separately formed hose and nozzle/retractor compartments, which may be formed of the same or different materials. In this construction, the two compartments are placed adjacent each other, with their abutting walls together forming the divider. As described in the preferred embodiment, the hose compartment is shown as the lower compartment. However, it is to be understood that other configurations are also contemplated by the invention.
The housing may be used with or without the hose and retractor. In the latter configuration, the nozzle/retractor compartment is divided into a nozzle section and a connector section with an intermediate partition that includes a vacuum hose inlet connector for connecting a hose through the connector section and the hose compartment to a remote vacuum source. The connector section communicates with the hose compartment through an opening in the divider.
One of the outer walls of the hose compartment, normally one of the side walls, includes an opening to connect the unit to a conduit that is connected to the remote vacuum source. The stud adjacent this wall will also include a mating opening so that the connecting conduit can communicate with the external conduit. A connection hose or conduit extends from the outer wall opening through the hose compartment, and then through the connector section to connect the exterior conduit to the inlet connector. The hose connector can be wired in a circuit with the vacuum source in a conventional manner to energize the vacuum source when a hose is connected.
The housing without the hose and reversible drive unit, or retractor, is installed between and secured to two wall studs during wall construction. The connector section can be covered by sheet rock, dry wall or other wall surfacing material during installation, with removable covers, the term including hinged doors or plates, being placed in front of the hose compartment and the connector section. When used, the user inserts the proximal end of a hose, which is normally stored at a separate location, into the nozzle section to connect the hose to the inlet connector on the partition. As a result, the hose is connected via the connector hose to the central vacuum conduit and vacuum source, permitting use of the hose in the usual manner.
The hose and retractor can be installed in the housing when finances permit, or at the time of the initial installation. To do so, the connector conduit and the partition with the inlet connector, if previously installed, is first removed. An inlet connector, if not previously installed, is installed over the opening in the housing outer wall. The proximal end of the flexible hose is then inserted from the nozzle/retractor compartment through an opening in the divider and through the hose compartment, and is attached to the inlet connector to connect to the central vacuum conduit. The hose is also inserted through the retractor.
Generally, the reversible drive means, referred to herein as the retractor, is comprised of opposed first and second rollers that are spaced to received a hose between the nip of the rollers, and a reversible motor that is in communication with at least one of the rollers. The rollers can be supported on frame sections that are hinged to each other or to a common base to permit movement of the rollers to an open position for insertion of the hose. Preferably, one of the rollers is driven by a reversible electric motor, with the driven roller engaging the second roller when the rollers are in their closed position, thereby driving the second roller. Alternatively, both rollers can be connected directly or indirectly to the motor shaft. The retractor includes a first side that faces the nozzle section of the nozzle/retractor compartment, and a second side that faces the hose compartment.
If the housing is initially used without the hose and drive unit, the connector section may be covered by dry wall or other facing material at the time the hose and retractor is to be installed. If so, the retractor is first positioned around the hose, e.g., by opening the hinged rollers and inserting the hose into the roller nip. The proximal end of the hose is then inserted from the nozzle/retractor compartment through the opening in the divider and into the hose compartment, where the proximal end of the hose is connected to the inlet connector. The retractor is then inserted into the nozzle section and slid behind the wall facing into position in what was formerly the connector section. To facilitate insertion of the retractor with the attached hose, the opening in the divider preferably extends across the entire bottom of the connector section.
When the complete unit is used, the user grasps the nozzle stored in the nozzle section, and turns a switch to the xe2x80x9cforwardxe2x80x9d position. This switch may be positioned on the nozzle, within the nozzle section interior, such as on an interior wall or at some other convenient location, on or adjacent the unit. Movement of the switch to the xe2x80x9cforwardxe2x80x9d position activated the retractor motor, causing the rollers to rotate, thereby feeding the hose from the hose compartment until all of the hose is extended, or until the user moves the switch from the xe2x80x9cforwardxe2x80x9d position. After use, the hose is returned to the hose storage compartment by moving the switch to the xe2x80x9creversexe2x80x9d position. A switch can also be included to manually start and stop the remote vacuum source.
Thus, the present invention provides a storage unit that can be used to store and dispense a flexible vacuum cleaner hose that is in communication with a remote vacuum source, with the unit housing also being useful as a means to connect a separately stored hose to the remote vacuum source prior to installation of the hose and drive unit.